Filament winding machine



y 3, 1969, G. A. JUBE ETAL 3,443,765

FILAMENT WINDING MACHINE Fil'ed June 21, 1965 Sheet of 2 //VVE/V T025 GEO/P66 AEMA/VP uuaE MAX 20652- POPOT y 1969 s. A. JUBE ETAL 3,443,765

FILAMENT WINDING MACHINE Filed June 21, 1965 Sheet 3 of 2 5| III.VIIIIIIIII //vl/A/TOES. 650E635 ARM/IND (IL/5E MAX E0652 POPOT 3,443,765 FILAMENT WINDING MACHINE George A. Jube, Courbevoie, and Max R. Popot, Montrouge, France, assignors to Sud-Aviation, Societe Nationale de Constructions Aeronautiques, Paris, France, a corporation of France Filed June 21, 1965, Ser. No. 465,594 Int. Cl. B65h 54/10 U.S. Cl. 242-2 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A device for forming structural bodies by means of threads or filaments wound on a mandrel, the mandrel being rotatable on a first vertical axis and on a second oblique axis, each axis being rotatable at different speeds controlled by differentially changing the speed of rotation between said firstand second axis to obtain the desired warp of threads being fed onto said mandrel from a fixed vertical thread guide erected at a point of coincidence of said axes.

There is described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 208,522, filed July 9, 1962, now abandoned, a device permitting the forming of hollow bodies by means of threads wound on a mandrel and assembled by the intermediary of a binding agent, the mandrel turning around a first axis, supported by a framing, turning around a second axis, said first axis being oblique relative to the second axis, and coinciding suitably with the former at the center of said mandrel, a thread guide being placed in a fixed position on a perpendicular to the second axis, erected at point of coincidence of said two axes.

In regard to such an execution, the relative motion of the thread guide relative to the mandrel is a circular orbit, located in a plane, which crosses the mandrel obliquely by suitably passing through the center of the latter and toward its two ends. The mandrel turns simultaneously around the first axis, the thread is wound according to a composite motion resulting from said double rotation of the mandrel. There is thusly obtained an oblique winding with non-constant pitch of the threads wound around the mandrel.

In order to be able to entirely cover the surface of the mandrel with warps of threads, the former is turning by itself at very slight speed. The speed of circumferential rotation of the mandrel is chosen in a manner such that subsequent to one turn of the framing, the warp of threads will place itself close to the lap applied at the preceding turn. Thus, it becomes necessary, in order to carry out the method of winding (spooling), called adjacent winding, to regulate the speed controller, which drives the mandrel, so that the rotation of the latter during one turn of the framing becomes equal to the width of the warp of threads.

If one desires to obtain, according to the method of adjacent winding, containers with uniform revolution, provided with curved faces, serious difliculties are encountered. Actually, the curved faces frequently comprise relatively large surface openings, representing, for example 30 percent of the surface of the face. In this case where the adjacent winding is carried out at a very slight rotating speed of the mandrel, the angle, being formed, between the warp of threads on the lateral wall of the mandrel and its axis, which is called the winding angle, is very slight. The conditions for a good stability of the thread warps on the curved faces or ends require that the winding angle increases when the surface opening increases. It becomes practically necessary, that the angle formed by the direction of the warp with the plane tangent to the curved face or end at the point of application thereof, is slightly nited States Patent "ice above 1r/2 otherwise the warp of threads will have a tendency to slip out toward the exterior. Consequently, when the surface of the opening increases, it is mandatory to maintain the warp of threads against the curved face by artificial means. F or example, resort is had to adhering properties of the threads. Using such means affecting the solidity or ruggedness of the structure of the container, present numerous drawbacks, particularly in cases where the containers are subjected to strong internal pressures. The present invention eliminates these drawbacks.

According to the invention herein, the method of carrying out hollow bodies by means of threads wound on a mandrel and assembled by the intermediary of a binding agent, the mandrel turning around a first axis, supported by a framing turning around a second axis, said first axis being oblique relative to a second axis and coinciding with the latter, suitably at the center of said mandrel, and a thread guide being placed in a fixed position on a perpendicular to the second axis, erected at the point of coincidence of said axes, in order to permit the guiding of warps of thread being characterized in that each warp while the winding is progressing on the mandrel will apply itself adjacent a previously wound warp when said framing has carried out at least two turns around its axis after the application of the previously wound warp.

The device will permit the increase of the winding angle. Actually, such a mode of winding is obtained by increasing the ratio n of the rotating speed of the mandrel to that of the framing. Such a mode of winding is called star winding, because a star design having a number of equal branches relative to It appears on each of the faces. The quantity n thus also indicates the number of revolutions of the framing being necessary in order to bring about a completed cycle.

As it was mentioned in the prior application the mandrel is caused to rotate around its axis due to a transmission device separating the rotating motion of the mandrel from the rotating motion of the framing. Consquently, in order to adjust the ratio of the rotating speed of the mandrel to that of the framing at a set easily determined value, the width of the thread warp is taken into consideration, it becomes necessary to provide fine regulating means in said transmission device. The speed controlling device described in the prior application will permit the carrying out of such a star winding. However, the adjusting of said latter device has in practice proven to be of delicate nature in regard to said winding method. The device, according to the present invention, eliminates these drawbacks.

According to the present invention, the device permits the forming of hollow bodies by means of threads Wound on a mandrel and assembled by the intermediary of a binding agent, the mandrel turning around a first axis supported by a framing turning around a second axis, the first axis being oblique relative to the second axis and coinciding with the latter, suitably at the center of said mandrel. A thread guide is placed in a fixed position on a perpendicular to the second axis, erected at point of coincidence of said axes. The first axis is caused to rotate by the intermediary of a transmission device separating the rotating motion of said first axis from the rotating motion of the second axis. The improvement resides in that the transmission device comprises a set of pinions engaging each other at a determined ratio, one of the pinions being integral with a shaft connected rotatively to the framing, and the other with one of the shafts of a differential device, the other shaft of which is connected rotatively to the mandrel. The holder of the differential device is driven by a speed adjusting device.

Thus, the determined ratio of the set of pinions will permit one to set the number of rotations of the framing in order to carry out a completed cycle, while the controller connected to the differential device Will permit the ad- 3 justing of the speed of the framing and the mandrel in order to take the width of the warp into consideration.

In an advantageous mode of carrying out the invention, the shaft of the speed varying device is caused to rotate by an engaging device connected to said framing. The speed adjuster, preferably with an electric control, drives the holder of the differential device by the intermediary of a reducer.

Suitably, the shafts controlling the rotating movements of the mandrel and the framing, and which are connected rotatively to the shafts of the differential device, are concentric, one of them being disposed at the interior of the other one, in the shape of a tube. The device is particularly advantageous because it permits one to place all cumbersome and heavy apparatus on the ground in a stationary position. Furthermore, one may insert a coupling device between the first axis and the corresponding shaft of the differential device. It is thus possible to disconnect the rotation of the mandrel from that of the framing.

The following description referring to the attached drawing submitted by way of non-limiting example will facilitate the understanding of how the invention works, the details of the drawing as well as the test are naturally made part of said invention.

FIG. 1 shows an example of a star design appearing on one of the faces of the mandrel, when carrying out the method of winding, according to the invention.

FIG. 2 shows a device, according to the invention permitting one to obtain a star winding.

FIG. 3 is a schematic section of the differential device.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show a preferential mode of carrying out the device, according to the invention.

As was the case in regard to the device described in the prior patent application, there is chosen the angular speed ratio of the framing to that of the mandrel being equal to 12, there is obtained a n-branches-star on the two faces of said former one. FIG. 1 illustrates schematically the design, appearing on one of the faces, in the case where 12:5.

Assuming, actually, that the warp of threads f is fastened onto the curved face at of center 2 of the mandrel Y at a point 0, and that the mandrel turns in the direction of the arrow U.

When the framing supporting the mandrel Y turns in the direction of the arrow V, the warp y will apply itself onto the face x of the mandrel Y following the distance OA, then over the lateral surface of the mandrel according to the spiral portion AB. The warp thus appears over the face of the mandrel, not shown on FIG, 1, at point B, and applies itself on said face according to line BC. From point C, the warp describes the spiral portion CD in order to appear at D over face X, which it covers according to distance DH. This distance DH is tangent to the circle of center 0 and radius 00, at a point 0 which is deduced from 0 by a rotation 360/5, since, in the chosen example, the framing turns five times faster than the mandrel.

When the warp f has run through the distances 0,, A, B, S, T, that is to say, when the mandrel has carried out one turn and the framing five turns, point 0 is united with point 0 since all the points 0 O 0 are being obtained from the preceding one by rotation of 360/5. Thus it becomes mandatory, if one wishes to obtain juxtaposition of the warp being applied with the one having been applied five turns before, to modify the angular speed ratio of the framing to that of the mandrel by such amount that the position obtained after a number of turns of the framing equal to said ratio, is equal to the width of the warp.

The variation to be applied to ratio n is very slight, since the width of the warp of threads is small relative to the diameter of one straight section of the mandrel. Also, the speed control described in the prior patent application is not sufficiently flexible in order to permit an accurate and easy adjustment.

FIG. 2 illustrates a device, according to the invention, capable of performing such control. The framing or capstan 1 is caused to rotate by the pair of conic pinions 6, 7, the latter being caused to rotate around the pivot 2 by the reducer 9 connected to motor 8. At the end of pivot 2 there is mounted the pinion 10, which causes the differential pinion 11 to rotate. The latter is integral with a shaft 14 abutting at its opposite end on the differential device 46. A pinion 41a, mounted on the shaft 14, interacts with pinion 41b, in order to drive a shaft 42, which transmits its motion to electric controller 43 and to a high ratio gear 44. The delivery shaft 45 of the latter is integral with a pinion 47 interacting with a toothing 48 supported by the holder of the differential device 46.

FIG. 3 illustrates, in detail, the operating of said differential. The shaft '14 is integral with the pinion 49, while the delivery shaft '50 of the differential carries the pinion 51. The pinions 49 and 51 are connected by the differential pinions '52 and 53. Thus, it appears that by causing the difierential pinions 52 and 53 to turn due to the interaction of the pinions 47 and the toothing 48, one may impart a speed, differently from that of shaft 14, to the shaft 50. The shaft then transmits its motion by the aid of a set of bevel wheels 13 (shown partially) to the endless screw 15. As stated in the prior patent application, the endless screw causes the rotation of the mandrel 21 around its axis.

The pair of pinions 10 and 11 is chosen in a manner that the ratio of the latter is equal to the ratio 11 of the angular speed of the capstan (framing) and the mandrel, that is to say, equal to the number of star branches, which appears on the face of the mandrel. The pinions are mounted with a view to being easily interchanged with other sets of pinions.

It follows that the shaft 14 turns n times less rapidly than the pinion 10. The differential device 46 with its affixed toothing 48 is driven by the pinion 47 the speed of which is controlled by the controller 43 imparts a speed to the shaft 50 which is slightly different from that of shaft 14.

The Winding being in progress, it thus becomes possible to regulate the pitch of the winding by acting on the controller 43, in order that the turns juxtapose themselves correctly. The said device requires that the mentioned controller be furnished with electrical energy as the capstan turns by means of brushes or wiping.

In order to eliminate this inconvenience, it would be possible to make use of the device, as executed, according to the description as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. It appears from FIG. 4, that the rotation of the framing -1 is obtained by the interaction of conic pinions 54 and 55, the pinion 54 being connected to a tubular shaft 56 put in motion by a driving device 57, while the pinion is connected to a tubular shaft 58 integral with the framing 1 and being capable of turning relative to its stand 5Q.

A pair of pinions 14a, 61a connect shaft 14 to shaft 61 rotatively. The rotation of the mandrel 21 results in the interaction of the shafts and 61, being respectively concentric with the shafts '56 and 58, being connected by the conic pair of pinions 62, 63.

FIG. 5 illustrates the driving arrangement 57 in detail. Referring to this figure, a pinion 64 is integral with the delivery shaft of the motor 8, and interacts with two other pinions 65 and 66. The pinion 65 is integral with one of the ends of a shaft 67, on which is mounted a speed controller with electric control 43 and a reducer 44, while the other end of shaft 67 carries a pinion 70 engaging with a pinion 71.

The pinion 66 is integral with the tubular shaft 56. which also carries an end pinion 72, interacting with a pinion 73 rotatively connected with a pinion 74 by a shaft 75.

The pinion 74 drives, by the intermediary of the pinion 77, the shaft 76 of the differential device 46, while the gearing 48 carried by the holder of said device engages with the pinion 71. The shaft 60a is thus constituted by the delivery shaft of the differential device 46. An engaging device 78 permits the coupling or the uncoupling of the shafts 60a and 60.

The operation of the driving arrangement 57 is identical to that of the device shown by FIG. 3, but it shows an advantage in that one is capable of placing it on the ground, and not on the capstan or framing. I

The shafts 56 and 58 are caused to rotate directly by the motor 8 and the interaction of the pinions 64 and 66. Furthermore, the pinions 77 and 74 are chosen so that their ratio becomes equal to 11, previously mentioned. Consequently, the shaft 76 turns at a speed 11 times less than that of the shaft 56. The speed of the shafts 60a and 60 is adjusted from that of the shaft 76, due to the controller 43 and the reducer 44, driving the toothing 48 of the differential device 46 by the intermediary of the pinions 70 and 71. This arrangement will make the set of pinions 74 and 77 accessible to being changed, in order to modify the ratio 11.

In the case where one should desire to make an adjacent winding, one may arrange a train of compound pinions with very great gear ratio. The complementary adjustment will be carried out by the differential. 1

The utilization of the winding arrangement, according to the present addition, is not limited to the star winding. It may perfectly well be adapted to any other winding machine, and particularly so, to those of the so-called spiral type, in which the thread guide is being displaced by a displacing movement alternated along the axis of the mandrel, like a carriage.

One may obviously introduce modifications in regard to the modes of carrying out the invention, having just been described, particularly, by substituting for equivalent technical means, without thereby going beyond the scope of the present invention.

What is claimed is:

1, A device for forming hollow bodies by means of threads wound on a mandrel and assembled by the intermediary of a binding agent comprising:

a mandrel for rotating about a first axis,

a framing supporting said mandrel, said framing rotatable about a second axis, said first axis being oblique relative to the second axis and coinciding with the latter suitably at the center of said mandrel,

a shaft rotatively connected to said framing,

a thread guide being placed in fixed position on the perpendicular to the second axis, erected at point of coincidence of said axes,

means for rotating said mandrel about said first axis and said framing about said second axis,

a transmission device separating the rotary motion about said first axis from the rotary motion about said second axis, said transmission device comprising:

a set of pinions mutually engaging each other at a predetermined ratio,

one of said pinions being integral with said shaft rotatively connected to said framing,

a differential device provided with two shafts,

the second of said pinions being integral with one of said two shafts of said differential device, while the second shaft of said differential device is rotatively connected to said mandrel,

and speed control means connected to said differential device for selectively causing said second shaft connected to said mandrel to rotate at a speed different from said first shaft connected thereto.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said speed control means is driven rotatively by a gearing means connected to said means for rotating said framing.

3. The device of claim 1 further comprising a shaft connected to said drive means rotating said framing, said shaft being disposed concentrically about the shaft connected to said differential device which is rotatably connected to said mandrel,

4. The device of claim 1 further comprising:

coupling means disposed on said shaft for driving said mandrel whereby said shaft can be selectively disconnected from said drive means such that said framing can be rotated independently of said mandrel.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,112,234 11/1963 Krupp 156175 XR 2,725,197 11/1955 Taylor 242-2 3,140,058 7/1964 Courtney 156175 XR PHILIP DIER, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

